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Bauer was effectively frozen out by sacked Stoke boss Gary Rowett, but fans were hoping he would be rehabilitated under Jones, who was appointed last week.

Bauer, a £4m signing from Rubin Kazan last January, was an unused sub as Stoke lost 3-1 at Brentford on Saturday, the first time he has been part of the matchday squad since October 27 at Bristol City.

The Austrian internatiional, one of the few players to emerge with any credit as Stoke were relegated from the Premier League, was expected to leave the club last summer. Instead, he signed a new long-term contract and seemed certain to be a cornerstone of Rowett’s new-look Potters.

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He played in Stoke’s first two games back in the Championship, a 3-1 defeat at Leeds and a 1-1 draw against Brentford, but struggled in Rowett’s rigid 4-3-3 system and was quickly dropped from the matchday squad.

He then fell foul of the manager after being accused of stoking up negativity at the club on social media and subsequently featured in just three matchday squads before Saturday.

Jones' attacking style of play would suit Bauer, a popular player with fans. But it seems the lure of Premier League football might be too much of a pull for the 26-year-old.